Self-winding clock



May 5, 1925 1,536,159

M. A. s'rANpow SELF WINDING CLOCK Filed June 11, 1923 INVENTOR. 3 HAfiTANnnw 22 V3? By Q N'IFQJ'BMM ATTORNEY.

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES MARK A. STANDOVI, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SELF W'INDING. CLOCK.

Application filed June 11, 1923.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that MARK A. SrANDow, citizen of the United States of America, residing at 33 Troy St., Hartford, in the county of. Hartford and State of Connecticut, hasinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Winding Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvement in time mechanisms and its leading object is to providea time mechanism with an automatic electrical rewinding means including a contact which will remain normally closed during the period of the rewinding of the main spring and an armature arranged to operate a step-by-step winding gear and to lock the contact in open position when the maximum tension has beendeveloped in the winding of themain spring.

Another object of'the invention is to provide. a time mechanism with an electrical rewinding gear which will withstand long and continuous service in an automobile clock.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain new and useful combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is afront elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the electrical rewinding mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a similar viewwith the magnets removed. 1

.Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the magnets in place.

Fig. 6 is a. front end view of the rewinding case, showing the main spring winding pin and disc. i

Fig. '7 is a detail side elevation of. the armature.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the contact locking lever. p

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the time movement; showing the main spring and the rewinding disc and pin.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating the practical embodiment of my invention 5 designates a metallic clock case, which is shown to be provided with a flange 6 for attaching the clock and its works to an automobile instrument board or other suitable support. The case 5 is provided with an end wall 7 having openings "i and 7 Serial No. 644,784.

therein, through which current wires extend for supplying the current for operating the self winding gear of the clock.

The clock movement is of any standard construction and is embodied in a case 8 which is secured in the pocket 9 of the insulating ring or spacer 10, whichis snugly fitted in the case 5. The clock movement includes the balance wheel 11 and the main spring 12, which has its inner end fixed to the main spring arbor 13, which projects through the side of the case 8, and the outer end of this main spring is provided with a hook like terminal 12. The main spring is considerably smaller than the common main spring, being provided with a number of coils or turns sufficient to maintain the time movement working for a period of from five to fifteen minutes.

The spacer ring carries the entire rewinding gear and this will now be described in detail.

On the ring 10 a metal base plate 14 is mounted. being spaced from the face of the ring 10 by means of the washers 15. A ratchet wheel 16 is supported for rotation upon its shaft 16 which has a bearing at its inner end on the base plate 1 1 and at its outer end on the bracket 17. This ratchet wheel is provided with relatively fine teeth all facing in a common direction. A holding pawl 18 engages these teeth and is held in yielding bearing engagement therewith by means of the spring 19, which is fixed at one end to the flange 17 of the bracket 17 The wheel 16 is adapted to be moved in steps by means of a moving pawl 20, which is pivoted to the lever arm 21 of the armature 2 2. This armature is provided with an angular arm 22 which is pivoted upon a bracket standard 23, carried by the base plate 14;. The pawl 20 is held in yielding engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel by means of the coil or helical spring 24, one end of which engages the hook 25 on the lever armQl and the other end of which is connected to the screw 26, upon which is threaded the nut 27. and which screw extends through the stationary bearing 28, carried by the base plate 14. The pawl 20 is provided with a rounded offset portion or lug 2.0 which is in direct contact with the side of the spring, the ends of which are so connected that the spring will be slightly curved, so that a body pressure will be maintained on the side of the pawl and its working end will be kept in yielding engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth.

The armature 22 is of course made of magnetic metal but on its free or unmounted end a non-magnetic L-shaped arm 29 is fixed. This arm is provided with a notch or recess 29 on its underside, as clearly shown in detail inFig. 8.

The armature is actuated by means of a pair of magnets 30, which are supported at one end by the bracket plate 31 of magnetic metal and at the other end by the bracket 32 of non-magnetic metal. The poles of the magnets face the side of the armature and when these magnets are energized the armatureis attracted toward the magnets and the lever arm 21 is swung upon the bearing of the armature on the bracket 23, expanding the helical spring 24 and swinging the notched plate or arm 29.

The circuit through the magnets iscontrolled by means of contacts 32 and 31. The contact 31 is arranged on the end of the metal 'arm--32-which' is mounted on and insulated from the bracket arm 33, formed on the right angular extension plate 34 of the base plate 14; The contact 32-- is carried by one terminal of the lever 35,

which is pivoted at 36 to the bracket plate 34. This lever is provided with a lateral arm 35, which is engaged by the end edge of-the notched arm 29. The lever 35 is also provided with a shorter arm 35 which 00- operates with-the contact holding lever or lock 37 to maintain the contacts spaced when the maximum winding tension has been generated in the main spring. The contact holding orspacing lever 37 is pivoted at 33 to the plate 34, and is provided with a lateral arm 39 which is disposed in opposition to the arm 35 of the lever 35.v The lever 37 is also provided with an arm 39" which engages the arm 35" of the lever 35;

The ratchet wheel shaft carries a disc 40 which is provided with a pin 41 and this pin engages the. terminal hook on the outer end of the main spring, 12. The lever 35 is moved by a wire spring 42 so that the contact of this lever will be pressed toward the other contact. The locking lever 37 is engaged by a spring 43 whichtends to press the arm39--into contacting engagement with the arm 35", butnormallv this is overcome by the tension of the coil spring 24, when the contacts are in electrical conducting relation.

When contact has been established between the two contacts the magnets are energized so that the armature is attracted thereto, the advancing pawl will move the ratchet wheel certain steps. or a give portion of a revolution. The armature will then automatically react and the magnets will again attract the armature, thus imparting a series of rotative impulses to the ratchet wheel and thus winding the main spring 12. When the tension of the main spring 12 thus wound exceeds the tension of the coil spring 24 the spring 43 of the locking lever will be able to move the lever 37 so that its arm 39 will engage the arm 35 of the lever 35 and separate the contacts, thus breaking the circuitthrough the magnets, as a result of the shifting of the lever 35 by the action of the angular extension or arm of the, arma ture against said lever, as indicated in Fig; 8; I

Vhen the tension of the main spring 12 is reduced by the expenditure of its stored up energy the tension of the spring24 will be able to overcome thetension of the spring of the locking lever and this locking lever will be-shifted by the spring pull of the spring 24 upon the arm 39 through the lateral extension of the armature, so that contact will be reestablished.

Each time the magnet attracts the armature the contacts are separated by reason sion of the spring of the lever 37 by the 2 reduction of the energy of the main spring 12 determines the period when the magnets will remain inactive, and of course by varying the tcnsional relations or by increasing the strength of the respective springs this ti e may be increased or reduced. Y

Vhen the clock is installed in an automobile or other vehicular equipment the magnets areconnected in circuit with the usual storage battery and will operate on the currentthereof. V r

The contacts are preferably made of coin silver.- I have tried without success p1atinum, tungsten andother contacts but have found that coin silver gives satisfactory service for a long period; the silver being taken from a coin of native mintage.

The rewinding mechanism doeslnot vary in the slightest the mechanical adjustment of the time movement or impose any new burden upon it. i The two springs 12 and 24 provide the stored up energy for driving the time train. The tension of the spring 12 is determined by the number of turns the spring coil is given and the tension of the spring 12 by the degree of its expansion, which is alwaysthe same. I 7

Having described my invention 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent A self winding time mechanism with a i time movement having a main spring and a main spring arbor, a ratchet Wheel mounted on said arbor, a lever pivoted to the frame of the time movement, twin magnets for attracting the lever, a fixed contact member having certain connections With the magnets, a second lever carrying a movable contact to engage the first contact and provided with a rounded projecting arm, a third lever provided with a locking frame adapted to engage the rounded arm of the second lever, pivotally supported to drop below said rounded pro ect1ng arm, means carried by the first lever for forcing the third leverinto locking position to hold said movement contacts separated from said fixed contact an arm carried by the first lever, a spring connected with said arm and a pawl carried by said last arm for engaging the ratchet Wheel, and the main spring being of sufficient power to maintain the time movement active for a fraction of an hour period and the second spring combining With said main spring to maintain normal tension upon the time movement.

Signed by me at Hartford, Conn.

MARK A. STANDOW. 

